Gaming blamed for rise in rickets

Video games have been blamed for a surge in the name of rickets cases in UK children.

Doctors claim children are spending too much time indoors playing games or browsing social networking sites.

This leads to a lack of vitamin D, a key cause of rickets, according to a report on the front page of this morning's Metro.

Kids tend to stay indoors more these days and play on their computers instead of enjoying the fresh air,” said Newcastle University researcher Professor Simon Pearce.

This means their vitamin D levels are worse than in previous years. The number of patients still presenting with symptoms of vitamin D deficiency shows we have a long way to go.”

Rickets can affect children of all ages and results in bowed legs and fragile bones. The condition was once associated with poverty in Victorian Britain but is becoming more common, with NHS figures revealing 100 children are treated for it in England every year.

TIGA CEO Richard Wilson said: It would be completely wrong to put this issue on the doorstep of video games, which can be beneficial. Things like Wii Fit can encourage exercise.”